One day after water main break, streets reopen, water service on for most customers

Water service is back for all but six buildings following yesterday’s water main break in downtown Minneapolis, and most streets are now open to traffic. All bars and restaurants have water service restored for people planning to come Downtown this weekend for dining and entertainment. The remaining customers in the half dozen buildings without water should have normal service restored by Sunday, after the water main is repaired and the water is tested.

Approximately 14 million gallons of water flowed out of the system following a break in a water transmission line at a construction site yesterday afternoon. For several hours, thousands of customers had reduced or no water service while crews isolated the broken water main from the rest of the city’s water system. By yesterday evening, all but three blocks of 2nd Street North had water service fully restored, including every bar and restaurant in the area. The buildings still without water service are on 2nd Street North, between 3rd Avenue North and Hennepin Avenue.

Meanwhile, the City has reopened most streets affected by the water main break. In addition to removing water and ice, crews are also making sure the streets themselves were not damaged by the excess water. This afternoon, northbound Hennepin Avenue reopened to traffic, as well as West River Parkway. That means all streets are open except for two blocks of southbound Hennepin Avenue, from 1st Street to Washington Avenue; one block of 2nd Street North, from Hennepin Avenue to 1st Avenue North; and one block of westbound 1st Street South from Hennepin Avenue to Marquette Avenue (the eastbound lanes are open on that block.)